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December 2010

12/31/2010

From Our Hearts is a wonderful organization started by a fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Marti Shea.

Here is a quote from their web site: "From Our Hearts is a not-for-profit 501c3 that began with a simple request by a son for a few handcrafted cards so that he could send “special” cards home to his wife and children while he serving his 6th deployment in Iraq. Today, the initial dozen handcrafted cards have turned into thousands of quality, handcrafted cards created and donated to From Our Hearts every month by hundreds of stampers nationwide and shipped to our servicemen and women serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan." The cards are distributed through chaplains.

Isn't that a wonderful organization! As you can imagine, our soliders don't walk down the street to buy a card to send home. From Our Hearts recently collected Valentines to send to soliders, so they can mail them back to loved ones. As I was making some Valentines to send off (which was a welcome change from Christmas cards!), I thought it would be a fun thing to get you involved.

So every time I have an event in 2011, I am going to have cards to make to send to our soliders through From Our Hearts. If you want to bring additional cards to any event, I will gladly ship them to the proper place. If you have envelopes to go with the card, great. If not, don't worry, I can supply them.

They always need all occasion cards. The chaplains say that kid's cards and "Miss You" and "Thinking of You" cards are always taken first!

I am excited to participate in such a worthwhile cause! I hope you will join me. You can easily link to From Our Hearts web site and learn more about them by clicking the "From Our Hearts" button in the left-hand column.

12/19/2010

I really haven't finished my Christmas cards yet, but I wanted to participate in another Create with Connie and Mary Challenge (CCMC129) . This was a fun and different challenge. They posted this picture:

The challenge was to use any items from this photo to create a card. It could be the colors, the stripes, the snowflakes, etc. Here is what I came up with.

I took a piece of the Presto Pattterns Specialty paper and brayered over it with Baja Breeze ink. This paper has an embossed design on it that resists ink. If you were at one of my last year's Stampin Stacks, you may remember using this.

I mounted this on a card of Whisper White and stamped snow flakes in Baja Breeze and then cut out some snowflakes using the Northern Frost Decorative Strip for the Big Shot. This is in the Holiday Mini (which ends on January 3!) I sponged Frost White Shimmer Paint over them and also put a small pearl in the center of each snowflake.

The 5/8" Organza Ribbon is put over a piece of Sticky Strip that was adhered to the card. I just pleated the ribbon over the Sticky Strip (Thanks to Connie of Connie & Mary, who told me how to do it). The Happy New Year is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set, which has every holiday greeting! It's a must have. I punched it out with the Word Window punch and then punched a piece of Baja Breeze with the Modern Label punch and added a couple more pearls.

So, there's my interpretation of the cake!! Isn't that a fun way to think of a new card idea. Try it and see what you come up with. You can use this picture or any picture that catches your eye!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (no, I am not sending out New Year's cards. I haven't mailed my Christmas cards yet!!)

12/14/2010

I was intrigued by the color combination of Rich Razzleberry,Night of Navy, Old Olive and River Rock. The fun thing about Connie and Mary's challenges is they challenge me!! I never would have thought of putting these colors together, but I like it.

Besides I needed a card for a friend, so it served two purposes (which is a must at this time of the year).

Hope your holiday preparations are going smoothly, and you are better organized than me!!

12/10/2010

2 of my 3 sisters have birthdays this month (it's Pat and Deb for those of you who know them!). I was deciding what to do for their birthday cards, and since I am seeing them on Saturday for our Christmas cookie exchange, I didn't have to worry about the card fitting in an envelope, so I decided to make my angel candy bar for their birthday cards.

I published this idea a few days ago, but I thought a revisit might be worthwhile for a couple of reasons.

First, there is no reason why this angel has to be just for Christmas. For those of you who know me, you know my Dad has been on dialysis for several weeks and has been in the hospital last week. I am SO grateful for my brothers and sisters who all help out during these times, but Pat and Deb really end up handling a good portion of it, so they truly are angels.

Also, it is fun to revisit an idea and tweek it. Personally, I think this angel is cuter than the original. I changed her color, added some Designer Series paper to give her front a little more pizazz, and added glitter to her halo. Also, since she is for a birthday not Christmas, I gave her sheet music, instead of a song book that said "Noel".

I don't often revisit a card. I like to try new things and like to show you new things, but I think a revisit in this case was worth it!

Happy Birthday, Pat and Deb. Thanks for being angels who put up with me:)

12/06/2010

Back to the candy bars! I figure it would be a good idea to get these large chocolate bars covered quickly. No telling what kind of damage I could do working down here by myself with a big piece of chocolate in plain view!!

This time I wrapped the bar in 7 1/2 x 8 1/2 Real Red card stock. The face is 2 3/4 square of Blushing Bride. The beard and hat trim are from the Tasteful Trim die for the Big Shot. The eyes are 1/4" circle punch in Basic Black and the mustache is a 1" circle in Whisper White cut in half. His nose is a Real Red glitter brad.

The buttons are 1/4" circle in Whisper White with some Dazzling Diamonds glitter. His belt is a strip of Basic Black, and the buckle is punched with the photo corner punch in Brushed Gold.

His hat is Real Red cut with Scallop Circle#2 for the Big Shot and the snowflake is cut from the Northern Frost Decorate Strip (page 38 of the Holiday Mini).

Pretty fast and easy and a great way to hide a chocolate bar from yourself. Probably best give these away soon:)

12/04/2010

I'm taking a little break from Christmas posts to show you the wedding card I made for my nephew and his new wife. They used black and silver in their wedding, so that's the reason I used these colors. I like the row of bling under the "congratulations"! These are from the Basic Rhinestone jewels #119246. They have adhesive on the back. You get 150 rhinestones for $4.95. Pretty inexpensive bling!!!

I copied the design from Create with Connie and Mary CCMC127design challenge this week. I so enjoy their challenges. They make me think out of the box!!

I promise to go back to my Christmas ideas, but I wanted to share this idea!

12/03/2010

I don't know about you, but all of the sudden the holidays are here!! The week after Thanksgiving has flown by!

I thought I would post a couple of easy gift ideas of the next few days, in case you are still looking for some quick gifts.

This angel is wrapped around a large Hershey bar. I found them at Dominick's today for 4/$5. It doesn't take much paper, so it certainly qualifies for inexpensive! It would make a cute little gift for a Sunday School teacher!

Here's how I made it:

7 x 8 1/2" of Pretty in Pink Card stock. Wrap it around the candy bar and tape it with Sticky Strip in the back. Sticky Strip holds better than regular adhesive.

The face is a 3" circle cut from Blushing Bride (if you have Blush Blossom from last year that works!) The hair is Barely Banana cut from the Tasteful Trim die for the Big Shot. If you don't have that, just cut strip of paper and cut it like fringe (it will give a whispy bang look!) The face is Basic Black punched with 1/8" and 1/4" circle. The halo is cut from Brushed Gold I punched an oval with the Oval Large punch and then using the Extra Large Oval punch, turn it upside down and center the previous oval punch, so it is centered--perfect halo!

The wing are Whisper White cut with the Scallop Circle die for the Big Shot, cut in half and sponged on the edges with Barely Banana. I attached them to the back with a few glue dots. You can't tell but I sprayed them with Vanilla Smooch Spray. Dazzling Diamonds would also work!

The song book is Barely Banana cut 2 x 2 1/2 and folded. Noel is written free-hand. The hands are Blushing Bride cut with the Large Oval punch, and bent to hold the song book. I attached them with glue dots.

I'll post another candy bar idea shortly, so pick up some large Hershey bars when you are at Dominick's!!

This is my personal blog. I am an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and responsible for its content. Stampin' Up! does not endorse the use of or contents of the classes, services, or non-Stampin' Up! products I may offer here.